Collapse of under-construction warehouse in Kolkata: Amidst death and despair, relatives of workers search for the living

A search and rescue operation is underway at the site where an under-construction shed collapsed in Taratala, Kolkata on 24 June 2026. Photo credit: ANI

Family members of the workers who went missing after the collapse of the Taratala warehouse on Wednesday (June 24, 2026) were frantically searching for them at the accident site and at the SSKM State Hospital. But for many, running to the hospital got them nowhere.

“I came to know about the accident at 3 pm and since then I went to the spot and to the hospital, but I could not find any trace of my brother Khaleq Sardar. He was working at the spot,” said the youth, who hailed from Basanti in South 24 Parganas.

Kolkata under construction warehouse in Kolkata: Watch the development on 24th June 2026

Another man from the city’s Kidderpore area said he last spoke to his relative on Tuesday evening and went to the hospital and the construction site after hearing about the accident.

According to the West Bengal government, about 25 people were rescued from the spot, five of whom died. It is unclear how many people are still trapped under the rubble.

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said attempts were being made to identify the labor contractors. “Most of the workers were brought from Bihar’s Munger and adjoining areas,” he said.

Mr. Adhikari appreciated the efforts of local residents who along with the police participated in the rescue operations within minutes of the accident.

“I saw at least five to six people trapped under the debris screaming for help. Many of them were my neighbours,” said Biru Das. Mr. Das, who works in a nearby warehouse, said he and others rescued about six people from the rubble. “One of them died,” he said.

Ujjal Kumar, another local, recalled “strong tremors like an earthquake” when the structure collapsed. “Then there was a loud sound like an explosion,” he said. Mr. Kumar added that he and other workers were resting when the accident occurred and rushed to the spot to join rescue efforts.

Eyewitness Raju said that the construction had been going on for the last six months and it was only three days since the work of laying the concrete roof on the third floor started.

“I knew some people from the accident. But I am not sure if they escaped or are still trapped. Asgar Khan, the one who got the tender for the construction work, was also probably there when the accident happened,” he said.

Sajid, another local, claimed that many workers were called as the roof seemed to be shaking. “Probably the heavy rain damaged the structure. Many workers may have gone there to check,” he said.

Many people who work in warehouses around the site said the contractor, Mr. Asgar, is well-known and believed to be close to the area’s former Trinamool Congress councilor (Ward No. 80) Anwar Khan, who was ousted from the site by locals.

The land on which the warehouse was built belongs to the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Authority, which granted a 30-year lease from August 2024 to the private company Behera Brothers.

Published – 24 Jun 2026 22:51 IST